


Not Available

by lou_angel



Series: Dial M for Merlin [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Evil Cut Off Ending!, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-26 06:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/647470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lou_angel/pseuds/lou_angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Merlin sees Arthur again following their...fun...on the phone?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Available

**Author's Note:**

> Second in my Dial M for Merlin series - read 'Wrong Number' first or it won't make much sense.

Merlin had wondered how he would react when he next saw Arthur but it wasn’t like they were friends or even saw each other much. They went around with completely different crowds. So he wasn’t prepared when he literally bumped into him first thing the next morning in the college refectory.

“Ow” said Arthur as hot coffee sloshed over his hand and trickled down his arm.

 _Oh god. Please don’t say something stupid like ‘Do you come here often?’ or ‘I know what you did last night.’_ “Sorry, are you ok?” _Not bad._

Arthur narrowed his eyes disdainfully. “Do I even know you?”

And he stalked away.

~

_Do I even know you?_

Arthur scowled at his reflection as he stormed into the men’s toilets which such ferocity that a timid first year who had been drying his hands scuttled out of the door with a whimper.

Arthur thrust his coffee soaked hand under the running cold tap.

_Do I even know you?_

What a ridiculous question. As if his unwitting assailant’s name and face weren’t permanently burnt into his brain. As if it wasn’t Merlin’s long fingers and skinny arms and full lips he’d been thinking of last night when he –

Arthur groaned and wondered if it would be possible to drown himself in the sink.

He didn’t know what had possessed him to ring that number but he suspected that the empty beer cans in his bedroom bin had something to do with it. His fingers had been dialling the number before his brain had time to think. He didn’t really know what he wanted or what he was expecting. He half hoped he’d find the whole thing repulsive so it would drive those lingering images from his mind. Now he had even fuller fantasies etched there.

He patted dry his stinging hand and arm with a paper towel and leant his head back onto the cool tiled wall, eyes closed, trying to regain his composure. But a faceless voice saying ‘close your eyes’ echoed in hypnotic yet thrilling tones in his head.

He had to pull himself together before someone noticed. Lance, or one of the other guys. Or worse, Morgana. The thought of his adopted sister made him fish out his phone. She was fond of stealing it at inopportune moments and he didn’t need her ringing through his dialled numbers. Then he really would drown himself in the sink.

He pushed a button and erased the dialled numbers list. No trace of the call left. He took a big breath and walked out into the hallway.

~

“What was all that about?”

Merlin had been staring at the floor not trusting his eyes to behave as Arthur had marched away and he didn’t want to complicate anything further by being caught ogling the guy. He was so preoccupied he didn’t hear his friend speaking to him at first.

“What was all that about?” Will asked again.

“Oh – I was just clumsy.” Merlin muttered.

Will looked at him suspiciously. Being clumsy wasn’t uncommon for Merlin but there was something that wasn’t quite right. 

“What’s up? You’ve been weird all morning.”

Merlin looked at Will’s earnest, concerned face and thought about telling him everything. But although everything had seemed like a harmless joke at the time, Merlin wasn’t so sure anymore. He felt guilty and a little bit creepy. Will wouldn’t blame him, but he’d find it hilarious that Arthur got off on anonymous calls to strange men and wouldn’t hesitate to tell the entire college. Merlin’s conscience couldn’t let that happen. So he mumbled something about a headache that seemed to mollify Will and they trudged off to class.

~

“What the _hell_ was all that about?”

Morgana pounced on Arthur as soon as he emerged from the toilets. She must have followed him there, which made him very relieved that he’d had the foresight to delete the numbers off his phone. Arthur thought quickly. If Morgana was here that meant that Gwen wouldn’t be far away as she always followed the older girl around like a faithful puppy. Not that he didn’t like Gwen because he did really. It was just that she was always so good and _nice_ he always managed to feel somewhat depraved. And he just didn’t feel like being nice today.

“Well?” Morgana prompted.

“Just a bit grouchy. Hadn’t had my morning coffee.”

“Do I even know you?” Morgana repeated in an unflattering mimicry of Arthur, “what _on earth_ was that?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m an ogre.” He grunted.

At that moment Gwen came around the corner hurriedly frowning a little.

“Arthur!” she said lightly, but he knew that he was about to be scolded, “what was all that with poor Merlin? He’s so – sweet.”

“I barely know the guy,” Arthur said. Which was technically true, considering he only had one class with Merlin that he skipped more than he attended, and Merlin barely said anything. Arthur wasn’t even sure if he would recognise his voice. Which was why it was so particularly annoying that he thought about him so much.

“Sometimes Arthur,” Morgana said, “You are so – _pompous_.” She and Gwen exchanged glances in a way that Arthur knew secretly meant something he would never discover and he hated it. 

A distant bell rang and they went their separate ways to class.

~

The entire week was difficult. 

Merlin managed to make a pretty good semblance of being his normal self because Will wouldn’t fall for a sickness excuse everyday. 

Arthur spent as much time hanging around with the guys as possible because, even if Lance was darting slightly worried looks at him, none of them would ask any questions. Morgana was also surprisingly easy to avoid but Arthur suspected that was because she spent a lot of time shopping for, and talking about the big house party they were throwing at the Pendragon house that Friday when his father was away on business.

The days weren’t so bad after all with all the distractions of schoolwork and people. The worst was when Merlin lay in his bed at night staring, unable to sleep, at the ceiling with guilty thoughts and wondered what, if anything, Arthur felt when he thought of him.

In a large bed in a very different part of town Arthur, in fact, had _very enjoyable_ thoughts about Merlin most nights. But when it was over, with his shouts stifled and the euphoria scattered, Arthur found himself biting his own pillow with the sad lonely realisation that, for all his entourage and popularity at college, he’d never felt more miserable.

~

Merlin didn’t know what had possessed him to come to the party at the Pendragons. Well, it was Will who had been hard to resist when they’d only seen each other at school and was even more impossible to say no to as he’d lived with Merlin and Merlin’s mum ever since his parents had died. 

The Pendragon house was the last place Merlin wanted to be. Now there was a very real chance that he’d have to speak to Arthur and that Arthur might _recognise his voice._

He’d just have to keep his mouth shut as much as possible. He went to the kitchen to grab a beer. Just the one. He couldn’t risk drinking too much. Then he wandered through to the games room where he could hear music and lots of loud chatter.

Arthur knew the second Merlin walked into the games room even though he had his back to the door. He refused to turn around and didn’t, until he heard Morgana shriek Merlin’s name, which was rather surprising.

Merlin was surprised too when Morgana hurtled towards him. He only knew her a bit and found her slightly scary.

“Merlin!” she said grabbing his hand, “come and play Guitar Hero. Gwen won’t play with me.” She shot Gwen a look, causing her to blush, and then tugged on his arm, “you’ll play with me won’t you?” 

Merlin agreed, although partly because he feared Morgana might tug his arm out its socket. She was freakishly strong. They both looped their guitar straps over their heads and stood poised. There was a slight stir of interest in the room, some of Arthur’s usual cronies were exchanging malicious grins and edging closer, all expecting the gangly boy to embarrass himself. Even Arthur stepped forward but he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to drag Morgana away and shout at her for putting Merlin in that situation or to rescue Merlin somehow.

He didn’t need to. Merlin was perfectly capable. Better than that, he was _good_. Arthur was fascinated by Merlin’s tapered fingers, pressing and strumming and playing. He watched how Merlin’s hand slide expertly up and down the neck of the guitar, how his foot tapped in time, how he leant nearer to Morgana with a cheeky grin and sang the chorus with her. Arthur suspected that if there hadn’t been an audience, Merlin would have slid across the floor on his knees for the final riff. He quite liked the idea of Merlin on his knees. 

_Oh god._

Arthur slipped unheeded out of the patio doors into the cool, fresh night air.

~

Merlin downed a large glass of coke. He was unbelievably sleepy and felt a little drunk. But he’d been good and only had one beer so he couldn’t be. Luckily, he’d barely seen Arthur and hadn’t spoken to him at all. After Morgana had released him, Merlin noticed that Arthur had disappeared and he’d barely seen him since. 

Merlin poured another glass and wandered around the large rooms downstairs looking for Will. He saw Gwen and Morgana, huddled whispering in a corner and Lance, one of Arthur’s crowd who was actually nice. Then he saw Arthur, who looked like he was almost eating the face off of someone. Merlin felt his heart lurch. Or maybe it was his stomach. When they both surfaced for air he saw that it was Sophia, a drama student who liked floaty clothes. Bitch. Merlin wanted to pour his coke down her top. But then she'd probably take it off. So he drank it instead and wobbled back towards the kitchen to refill his glass.

Will found him there.

“How much have you drunk?” he demanded.

“One beer. I’ve been on the coke.” Merlin waved his glass.

“Let me have a look at that.” Will sniffed the glass. Then sipped a bit, “Oh god Merlin, there’s more rum than coke in this. Can’t you taste it?” Then he tasted a few of the half filled bottles experimentally until he found one without anything in _except_ coke. “Right, Merlin, you can only drink from this bottle ok?” Merlin was intently examining the pattern on his glass. “MERLIN!”

“Wha?”

“Only drink out of this bottle ok?” Will looked around for something to write with and grabbed a discarded lipstick. He drew a squiggly star on the bottle. “Don’t drink out of the others.”

“Ok.” Merlin nodded.

“Now I’m going go meet this girl. You going to be ok?”

“Yeah.”

Will went out of the kitchen whistling. Merlin stared at his glass in surprise. It was empty. He staggered over to the bottles of coke. 

Now, what was it that Will had said? Ah, this one had a red squiggle on it. Red meant stop. That must mean no. 

He poured himself a large glass from one of the other bottles.

~

Arthur was looking for Merlin. He was drunk and he wanted to get laid. He wanted Merlin.

The last time he’d seen Merlin he’d been with his friend, Will, the obnoxious twerp, and they’d each had an arm around the other. Arthur couldn’t see Merlin, but he could see Will, so he marched up to him.

“Where’s Merlin?”

“Not sure.”

A pause.

“You’ve slept with him, right?” Arthur was astonished at his own question.

Will did not look astonished. Instead, he looked as if Arthur’d just asked him if he molested sheep.

“Firstly,” Will said sounding like he was trying not to be sick, “I’m not gay. Secondly, we’re like brothers. His mum practically raised me. I haven’t slept in the same bed as him since we were about six.” Well, that wasn’t _entirely_ true. He had slept in Merlin’s comforting arms more recently, on the day he’d seen his father mown down before him by a joy rider, but he wasn’t drunk enough to tell Arthur that. It was private.

“Oh.” Somewhere in the dim recesses of his brain Arthur registered that although Will denied that he was gay he hadn’t said anything about Merlin.

“Besides –” Will continued wondering whether it sounded like he was protesting too much, “Merlin hasn’t slept –” _Oh wait, he shouldn’t say that_ “with anyone recently.” _Good save!_

Arthur saw Sophia approaching with a malicious grin on her face.

“Hello boys,” and she all but pounced on Will. Arthur was stunned. And slightly sickened. So he moved away to continue his search.

He saw a bunch of his friends slumped in an inelegant heap in the corner of the games room. The music had finished and no one had bothered to press play again. There was someone asleep on the pool table. But Merlin wasn’t there.

He passed a very drunken Morgana being supported by Gwen on the stairs.

“I love you Gwen.”

“I know you do.”

“No, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really love you.”

“I know.”

“Really, really, really, really, really, really, really – gonna be sick.”

Gwen shoved a bag in front of her.

Arthur knew he probably should help Gwen but he took the rest of the stairs two at a time and started to prowl the dark corridors outside the bedrooms.

“Arthur!” someone hissed.

It was Lance. Arthur didn’t really want to talk to him _right then_ but as his friend approached out of the shadows he saw that Lance was supporting someone else. 

Merlin.

“What happened?”

“I think he’s drunk.” Lance said with a grin. “He was trying to drink a big glass of water and –” he gestured with his free hand to Merlin’s shirt that was wet and sticking to him, “he missed his mouth.”

“I’m not drunk.” Merlin said, “Am sleepy.” 

“Of course you are,” Lance said reassuringly, “er, some help here Arthur?”

Arthur put Merlin’s free arm about his neck. “Put him in my room. I don’t want the other guys to find him.”

If Lance thought the comment about their mutual friends was odd, he didn’t say anything. Together they managed to drag a surprisingly heavy Merlin into Arthur’s bedroom and sit him on the bed. Almost immediately, Merlin lay down. 

“He should have some water.” Arthur said.

“I’ll get some.” Lance volunteered as he pulled off Merlin’s shoes. 

“Merlin, can you sit up? You need to take your top off.” Arthur asked.

Merlin didn’t answer. 

“Come on Merlin, you can’t sleep just yet.” Arthur pulled Merlin upright. Merlin slumped forward, his head landing on Arthur’s shoulder.

Oh well, that’ll do.

Arthur starting unbuttoning Merlin’s shirt. Merlin wriggled, and nuzzled his face into Arthur’s neck. 

_Oh god._

Lance came back in with the water. He didn’t seem at all concerned at the scene before him. Instead, he put the glass of water on the bedside table and helped ease Merlin out of his shirt.

“I passed Gwen on the stairs with Morgana,” he said conversationally to Arthur as if they spent a lot of their time undressing drunken boys they barely knew, “I think she might need some help. Can you manage?” Arthur nodded. Lance indicated the glass, “make sure he drinks that.” He slipped from the room.

“Am not drunk.” Merlin said his lips grazing Arthur’s neck.

_Oh god!_

“Just, just take a sip.” Arthur said.

“You smell nice.” 

“Oh.” Personally Arthur thought that he probably smelt of sweat, and stale beer, and cigarette smoke. Still, it was nice to be complimented and – what was that?

One of Merlin’s hands was now resting dangerously on Arthur’s thigh. And it was _moving_. Stroking long fingers up his leg, the gentle touch seeming to burn right through his jeans to the skin below.

_Oh dear god!_

He was enjoying this far too much. Merlin was in no state to do anything and probably didn’t even realise what exactly he was doing. But what he was doing was _very, very good._

“Drink.” Arthur decided and gently pushed Merlin into a sitting position before he jumped up and grabbed the glass.

He made the mistake of letting Merlin hold it. Some of the water made it down Merlin’s throat. The rest landed in his lap, soaking his jeans.

“Oh dear.” Merlin said sounding amused and tried to lie down again. 

Arthur rescued the glass before realising that he couldn’t let Merlin sleep in wet jeans. They’d have to come off too.

_Oh this just wasn’t fair._

“Merlin you’re going to have to take your jeans off.” Arthur grabbed Merlin’s arm, “come on, sit up!”

Merlin sat up groggily and fumbled at the button on his jeans. Arthur tried not to look.

“Can’t.” Merlin said, “Just want to sleep.”

 _God was being mean to him_.

Arthur sighed and reached out, unbuttoning and unzipping Merlin’s jeans and pushing them down from his hips. Merlin gave a delicious soft chuckle and slurred something that sounded like “impatient!” but he shifted obediently and Arthur was able to tug the jeans off.

 _Merlin_ was lying _practically naked_ on _his_ bed. If it weren’t for the fact that Arthur knew his imagination wasn’t _that_ good he’d never have believed. Besides, if this were one of his dreams he’d not feel so much like a leering seducer of helpless teens.

But Merlin was there. So close, he could touch him. He could do all those things he’d ever dreamt about, all those things the enticing voice that still echoed through his dreams had suggested they could do together. 

Arthur found his fingers slowly caressing Merlin’s face. Merlin murmured but didn’t complain so, emboldened, his fingers moved to trace patterns across the skinny chest and circle a nipple. Merlin actually moved _into_ his touch.

Could it be that Merlin wanted the same thing he did? 

“Do you like that Merlin?” He asked. Arthur wondered what Merlin would do if he replaced his fingers with his lips. The thought brought a small smile to his face as he recalled similar words being said to him.

“Fingers then lips?” Merlin was murmuring hopefully.

 _Exactly_ like that.

Arthur froze.

~

Merlin woke up feeling like there was an elephant dancing on his head and a horrid sensation in his mouth. Like he’d been trying to eat sandpaper.

He also appeared to have slept in his underwear and somewhere that wasn’t his own bed. It _was_ a bed, he realised, although he seemed to be buried under a huge tangle of sheets. He fought his way out and looked around the room. He didn’t recognise it at all. He was in a very large bed in an even larger bedroom. In fact, Merlin wouldn’t be surprised if his bedroom would only take up the same space as this bed. The walls were a rather heavy red.

A big, red bedroom. That sounded vaguely familiar.

Big and red.

_Oh crap._


End file.
